Sunday Shooting

Sir,

I am growing increasingly concerned at possible plans to remove the restrictions surrounding the shooting of 'game' birds on Sundays and Christmas Day. The Game Act 1891 makes shooting 'game' birds on these days an offence.

Around 35 million birds are intensively bred and reared each year to be used as live targets for slaughter by the shooting industry and feel there is no reason why the restrictions currently in place, imposed to protect the peace and tranquillity of the countryside on God’s day of rest, should now be lifted.

The countryside should be open to all to enjoy peacefully on a Sunday. Allowing 'game' shooting on this day and Christmas day puts the interests of one small group above those of other countryside users. Some of those who wish to take part in church services or take a peaceful stroll in the countryside will find that Sunday shooting impacts negatively on their activities.

Allowing game shooting on Sundays and Christmas Day is a step backward for animal welfare and the peace of the countryside which is why I am adding my support to a campaign by the League Against Cruel Sports opposing any changes to the current law. Sunday is a day for re-creation and not for destruction. Is it really asking too much to keep Sunday a day of peace and safety for 'game' birds and hares?

Rt Revd Richard LlewellinFormer Bishop of Lambeth and Chairman of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals.

A call for the National Trust to stop allowing hunts on its land, amid concerns that animals are still being chased and killed under the guide of 'trail' hunting, will be heard at more than 20 sites nationwide.

The League Against Cruel Sports has welcomed a report by senior MPs published today which includes proposals to treat cruelty to wild animals in the same way as domestic or farm animals with an increase in prison sentences.

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As a team, we share the same passion – to stop animal cruelty in the name of sport. We are a tight knit team and we work hard within a fun, relaxed environment. We also offer something many employers don’t – an office full of friendly dogs!

Hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2004, but the law has never been properly enforced, and attempts to weaken or repeal it continue. The hunting law in Scotland is weak, and hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland.

Hurting and killing animals for ‘sport’ is one of the principal causes of animal cruelty in the UK: tens of millions suffer and die each year for ‘leisure’ activities. We’re here to protect those animals.

The Hunting Act 2004 is the law which bans chasing wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales – this basically means that fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting, hare coursing and mink hunting are all illegal, as they all are cruel sports based on dogs chasing wild mammals.

Bullfighting is perhaps the most well known spectator “sport” involving the killing of animals for entertainment. It has already been banned in most countries, but each year tens of thousands of bulls are maimed, tortured and killed for entertainment in Spain, Portugal, France, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.

The hidden side of greyhound racing includes dogs kept for long periods in lonely kennels, painful injuries from racing and training, illness and neglect. Shockingly, thousands of surplus dogs die or disappear every year. The League believes dogs should not suffer or die for entertainment or for the profit of the dog racing industry.